


Circumstances

by AnneLaurant



Series: Flowers and Oranges [1]
Category: Shaman King (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Compliant, Drama, F/M, Gen, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Teenage Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24832543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneLaurant/pseuds/AnneLaurant
Summary: Fourteen, fifteen years old - jobless - middle school dropout - married - expecting.It's way easier to say that everything will be okay in the end, than to actually go through the circumstances to ever see that happen. Losers were losers, and somehow, nobody really bothered to think what would've happened had they lost that chance at a miracle.Compliant with SK main; non-compliant with SKF continuum.
Relationships: Asakura Yoh/Kyouyama Anna
Series: Flowers and Oranges [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687336
Comments: 11
Kudos: 23





	Circumstances

**Author's Note:**

> The underage tag is because Takei made it canon in the manga that Yoh and Anna slept together (when they were 14) right before Yoh flew to America for the SF. The "no warnings apply" tag is because the fic takes the matter seriously.

There was just no time. Summer vacation rolled around too fast, but some of their classmates lived in the same vicinity. Asakura Yoh and his fiancée Kyouyama Anna said something like helping out the family finances, keeping the Onsen running, and so on.

Manta however knew the truth. He might have played along the couples' charade, but he could study people like he studied his textbooks.

Manta could see how often Yoh would eye or accompany his fiancée… um, wife… whichever. He followed her like plants followed sunlight, like dogs chased the kids they grew up with. He also glared at other people who leered, spoke ill, or even dared to question what had happened, why they had to leave school for a while, or how come Yoh was following Anna this closely.

There were rumors, of course. Manta heard every single one of them. There were some truths to those rumors - Yoh got Anna pregnant and now the two were trying to take responsibility for it - but there were nasty details added in, details Manta wished he could argue against. People said that the two were truly irresponsible; their living conditions beforehand were already very scandalous. Behind his start student facade, Yoh was a monster. Anna was a whore, which was why her parents abandoned her, and she had to room in with Yoh.

Hoping to dispell the rumors, Manta offered to accompany the two on many of their "dates". Amidamaru already third-wheeled them; a living third (Fourth? Fifth, counting Zenki? Or was that Goki?) wheel was no bother to them. Anna wasn't too excited about the idea, but Yoh insisted on it. For the sake of keeping up with appearances. Everything was fine.

Manta thought that he would only do this for Yoh and Anna. Being a professional third wheel would've gotten on his nerves.

Often, Yoh asked Anna questions. His soft voice going "Are you alright?" grated on Manta's nerves, but somehow Anna was either putting up really well with it or didn't mind at all. There were the times when Yoh was often worried, over-worried, overthinking - and Manta had to side with Anna, leave Yoh behind in Funbari Onsen with Ryu or Tamao, and carry groceries himself. This was way better than seeing, hearing Yoh act and talk like… like that.

Sometimes, Manta, on his way home from cram school, found Yoh taking panicked breaths as he grabbed some weird food items from the konbini. Rarely, Manta heard Yoh word out his worries, but when it happened, Manta always, always wished he could help out in some other way, other than carrying groceries, hearing them out, doing some chores for them, and sparing some of his allowance to give them a bit of financial aid.

As he got yet another frantic midnight call from Yoh, Manta opened a textbook under his desk lamp and sighed as he found the page he was looking for. Yes, hormonal changes also happened in expecting fathers.

This had to be too much for a middle school dropout to handle.

* * *

Tamao harbored slivers of envy and disappointment, sure.

When Yoh had arrived home from Aomori with this cheeky grin, she desperately wished he'd chosen her instead, in her quiet whimpers and prayers.

When she met Anna, Tamao was too intimidated to even talk, and she couldn't imagine Yoh actually liking Anna for anything other than her beauty.

Whenever Anna got close with Yoh, Tamao could never deny to either Ponchi or Konchi that, while she could achieve a similar intimacy with the ever-friendly boy, he would never look at her the way he looked at Anna.

But if Tamao had to give up her future, her studies, her everything to bear a child for the Asakura house at 15 years old? She might have just ran away in fright and disappointed everybody. Who was ready to be that intimate with the person you love at this age?

These thoughts ran in Tamao's head, as she rubbed Anna's back and watched the obviously pregnant itako retch up the contents of her stomach so early in the morning. The day before, Anna gave her own uniform to Tamao, saying to either use it for the coming school year at Shinra, or to store it. And the day before that, Anna was dozing off before her journals and ledgers, and Tamao had to convince the older girl to leave the Onsen's accounting books and get extra sleep.

Anna had things Tamao desired, but right now, Tamao couldn't wish to be in Anna's shoes at all. No longer did Tamao desire to be Yoh's bride either, for she knew she did not have the same strength and willpower as Kyouyama -- ahem, _Asakura_ Anna did.

* * *

Ryu's best place right now was Funbari Onsen, and one of the best ways to keep it happy and well was to bring people together with food.

Though, try as he might, right now it was difficult to bring a smile to the faces of the people he mainly cooked for - Asakura Yoh and Kyouyama, err, _Asakura_ Anna.

Anna usually didn't smile, but Ryu could read her eyes and she was usually happy to have his food. There was a gleam in her eyes that made his heart leap in joy, and another gleam that told him she was enjoying the dishes he served. Not right now, though. Pregnancy was difficult, and Anna never looked so miserable. She hated the taste of some of the incredible things she used to love, and hated the ugly-looking, weird stew of ingredients that her tongue now preferred.

But what made Ryu feel even more terrible was how wrinkles started to form on Yoh's forehead. Yoh was the more vocal of the two, and he always complimented Ryu's cooking. And now… now Yoh was a bundle of worries, troubles, and deep thoughts. Oh, he ate, slept, and took a bath regularly, but life slowly faded from his once vibrant eyes.

Food could still jolt bits and pieces of happiness in Yoh, but they were temporary, and Ryu knew it from how silent the younger boy had gotten. Oh, well… he wasn't quite a boy anymore, but he wasn't a man either. He was too young, too inexperienced, and too unprepared to be a father, even if he was already 15? 16? This year.

As Tamao helped Ryu pack up the leftovers, the older boy sighed. He hoped that things would change for the two soon, especially when their child was born. And maybe then, Ryu's food could make them smile again.

* * *

Anna wished she could go to a hospital, to get answers, closure, proper medication, modern care, and whatever else!

_'Age?'_

But a question on a simple survey made her think twice, and she decided to make do with having Faust and Eliza's spirits checking up on her. She tried to sleep well at night, sought comfort in Yoh's arms, meditated and took deep breaths… it was working, though it was hard to ignore that she was harboring these weird feelings of melancholy that she hated.

She was 15 and pregnant and married. She wanted to finish high school, but she obviously would have to stay behind to care for the child, because she had to feed the babe and that's not something Yoh could do.

Yoh should better remember to always honor the sacrifice… sacrifices she made.

_Kick!_

Hana - the baby - kicked. It wasn't a very pleasant kick like Anna's nightly teledramas portrayed. In fact, it wasn't very pleasant to feel Hana move around in her belly multiple times of the day, and Anna was almost sure her child was dancing inside her.

And Hana was also supposed to be responsible for waking her up at unlikely hours, for making her like food she hated and dislike food she loved, and for probably every other discomfort she'd been experiencing. Including the part where she had emotional outbursts, cry, and make Yoh cry.

Hana better be nicer when they are born and make their mother's every tear and pain worth it.

_'I think you're in labor.'_

And it so happened that Asakura Keiko - _Mother_ \- had an errand in Izumo when Anna went into labor. And Tamao and Ryu had to handle the birth by themselves, until Faust recommended that the two do a hyoi-gattai with him and Eliza. How else could they help with the actual birth?

Ugh, wait, where was Yoh?!

"You sent him on an errand to get some fish eyes," answered Ryu.

"Then get him here!"

Eliza, using Tamao's body, cared for Anna as Faust searched for Yoh in Funbari and Ryu called in Manta as reinforcement. Like they could help - it was as if Harusame cut in her insides! They said pregnancy was painful but for it to be this kind of pain where every position she took just hurt…

Anna screamed not only in pain but also in frustration. She couldn't be dying yet, right?! Her organs could be dying inside - ugh, her baby could be dying!

Yoh could be faster! He should witness this! He should be here for this with her! Through pain and comfort! She was his Missus Asakura and she deserved to have him at her side at the least!

"Anna!"

And there he was. Yoh reeked of sweat, of fish, of everything that didn't smell good, but Anna didn't care. She welcomed him and his lips and his face next to hers.

"I'm here," he whispered.

"Yeah…"

Her hand reached for his and she squeezed tightly as she screamed again. Having him was nice but it still hurt, hurt, hurt…!

"Ow ow ow ow ow!"

Did Yoh say that? Or did she? Anna didn't know. This was the most excruciating thing she's ever subjected herself to, and Yoh's hand was turning white in her grip as well.

_Push!_

"Almost there!"

Push, Anna, push!

She shut her eyes and pushed, and held onto Yoh for life. What felt like hours, days, years of pain went, and then--

"Uwaaahhh!"  
"Congratulations! Hana is a boy!"  
"Did I miss everything?"

Anna opened her eyes, and the pain… what pain?

"Anna!" Yoh sobbed next to her. "We have a son!"

"Our… my…?" she murmured, but her baby stole away her words from her.

Anna reached out for her child - her son! - and Tamao, Eliza, whichever, gave Hana to her. Immediately, Anna pressed kisses to her child's face and held him against her heart.

Anna cried, and smiled, and cried, and smiled. Anna didn't have the most comfortable pregnancy, but everything was worth it for dear Hana's birth.

* * *

Yoh thought fatherhood was easy. Yohmei and Mikihisa made it sound and look easy.

As it turned out, it was even more stressful than ever trying to defeat a dude who was leagues stronger than him for the title of Shaman King. This was the most emotional journey of Yoh's life ever.

In town, he and Anna could act as if nothing happened, but it was different when he got home, when he got some private moments to himself. He was sad, and he was suddenly aware of the circumstances. He was a jobless teenager, living on the family wealth and his mother's paycheck. Funbari Onsen made some money, but it wasn't enough to cover everything.

Yoh did try to get a job, but he didn't save up that much from the construction gig. Even worse: his classmates, or _former_ classmates, started to annoy him all the more, said words that hurt, made it more painful. They knew him as a star student at school, but he wasn't that guy. He wasn't even Shaman King, and he wasn't ready to be a father. He was just a kid.

Yoh would never tell the others, but Manta and Anna and Amidamaru and even his own mother knew that sometimes, he cried like a baby. He woke up in the middle of the night, sad and empty and pained, and cried.

Hana's birth made it a little less painful and sad. Yoh found his baby, his son so beautiful, and most of the infant's features favored his mother's side. No one could mistake this child to be anyone else's but theirs.

However, this baby's beauty was not as significant as his health. Faust's assessment said that little Hana looked a little malnourished for some reason. He was small because his parents were not fully-grown yet. Then, Hana caught a cold, and at Faust's recommendation was rushed to the hospital. The infant was immediately taken to the Natal ICU, where he had to be placed in this cold-looking glass bed, with these really warm-looking lights towering him, as he had to have a machine breathe for him, multiple shots, and Yoh could barely keep himself steady watching the doctors and nurses work…

Yoh couldn't deny he felt so weak and useless. He broke so many promises, and it was getting more and more difficult to hide away the pain. Was it bad to wish for an easy life with no pain or troubles?

But Yoh mastered his smiling poker face in front of Hao. So as long he could keep his thoughts to himself and the few he trusted with his heart, Yoh felt safe.

"Congratulations," was Hao's greeting that fateful night. "You got your heir!"

"Haha, yeah, but it took you long to get here. He's a little sick right now! We really miss him…" Yoh glanced at the sleeping Anna next to him. "But we're getting him back tomorrow."

"Oh, my bad. I had different plans for you tomorrow. For both of you."

Hao held up two tickets in his hand and Yoh kept smiling. Smile, and maybe part of the pain would go away. He turned to Anna and nudged her awake.

"Yoh, Anna, show me your resolve and your strength. You say that peace is still possible in this kind of world, right?"

Yoh nodded. Anna grumbled next to him.

"Well, tomorrow afternoon, I want you to board on this flight to the Middle East."

Of course, Anna protested. Threatened Hao. Tried to use her powers against him. Smile; maybe it'd work.

"Okay then!" Hao gave in. "I could get your little boy another ticket. I just can't guarantee your safety, or that boy's safety, but I'm sure you're gonna be fine, since Yoh has S.O.E. with him, right?"

Yoh took a deep breath. He was strong. He could prove this.

"…we'll work it out."

* * *

Amidamaru envisioned leaves swaying in the wind. Everything will be okay in the end, Yoh said so.

Amidamaru watched the family solemnly pack their bags. It's all right; Yoh and Anna were strong; they'd come back anyway.

Amidamaru watched them take the infant Hana from the doctors. It's all right; Tamao and Ryu could handle things in Funbari Onsen. They would store memories in photographs too. Hana would still grow up fine.

Amidamaru also watched Yoh and Anna say their goodbyes. The couple hugged, cuddled, and kissed Hana one last time, before tucking him safely in Tamao's arms.

Amidamaru followed them until they were on the plane, but no more than that. The vehicle embarked for the sky, seeking distant lands.

Amidamaru closed his eyes. Only leaves would fall, but the tree would remain standing tall.

_Everything will be okay in the end._

At least, so he had hoped.


End file.
